Search This Blog

The Friday Five, 10/13/17: 5 things I've been up to this week

I was in the DC area this past Friday through Monday, to visit my college roommate who now lives in Arlington, and the rest of this week has been super busy, too.

What I've been up to this week:

Trip to DC/Arlington, VA.. The last time I was in Washington, DC was in 2008—I briefly visited for a few hours for a trolley tour in 2007, but in 2008 I spent 5 days there. The weather was crazy hot this weekend (85 degrees, in October!) so we only did a few "touristy" type things, but I did see some monuments and Mount Vernon. My Amtrak train to BWI (airport) decided to be over an hour late, as well, so I had to jump in a Lyft to BWI to make sure I made my flight home, on Monday.

Yelp wine-tasting event. I'm very active on Yelp.com, and as a Yelp Elite, we often do fun events. This one was a wine-tasting and "education" type event at a wine shop in Grosse Pointe Park, MI.

Driving fun cars. I received the 2018 Mazda CX-3 Grand Touring AWD yesterday for a blog post, so check back soon for that. I LOVED the 2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid that I drove a few weeks ago, so we'll see how this crossover compares.

Hanging out with friends. I went to Ann Arbor yesterday for a bridal shower for a college friend, whose wedding is Saturday, and after that, I hung out with another friend, and stayed overnight in Ann Arbor at her place.

Blogger events. This morning, I am attending a media event for the new Buddy's Pizza, which is located in Ann Arbor/Pittsfield Twp. on Ann Arbor-Saline Rd., near the Meijer plaza there. In addition, I was invited to stay at the new Hyatt Place, also in Ann Arbor (State St., across from Briarwood Mall), for this Saturday night—which works out perfectly, as my friend's wedding is nearby. The hotel *just* opened on October 3rd, too, so I'm excited to try it out.

So we've all been there ... that time when you're on an important phone call, and then the call drops. Or even when you need to use the internet on your smartphone, only to realize that you're at your data limit for the month.

I drive all over the metro Detroit area for movie screenings; because of this, most of the time I know where I'm going, but sometimes, I'm in an unfamiliar area or at an unfamiliar theater and I need GPS to know how to get there and back.

A few months ago, I was headed to the AMC Forum (Sterling Heights area) and I wanted to know the best way to get home from there. My phone kept stalling ... and stalling ... and then the Maps app crashed! Gah! I was extremely frustrated. I was finally able to re-start the phone and get safely home, but it TOOK. SO. LONG. Had the Maps app worked the fir…

*Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. Valentine's Day is coming up this week, and Dunkin' has released some seasonal doughnuts to celebrate!

About the doughnuts:
Valentine’s Day is all about love, but why stay trapped in the clichés of the holiday to express it? To help guests say it with donuts, and ease some of the holiday’s stress and high expectations, this year Dunkin’ is offering new choices as rich, diverse and dynamic as love itself. Dunkin’ today unveiled its Valentine’s Day lineup, including new Bling Sprinkles Donuts, the return of heart-shaped donuts and its first ever donut that features a perfect pairing of two delicious fillings.

A beloved symbol of the season, heart-shaped donuts are back in several varieties, including Boston Kreme and Jelly, for a limited time at participating Dunkin’ locations nationwide. Additionally, this year classic frosted donut varieties are getting dressed up for the season of love wit…